Momsense and Dadsense

These aren't new and you may have seen them before, but I really love them and thought I'd show them here. Anita Renfroe is awesome!





Hope you have a great weekend!!

Book Review "Never Say Never" by Lisa Wingate

"Never Say Never" by Lisa Wingate


Back Cover:

Sometimes Life's Storms Blow in Unexpected Possibilities
Never Say Never

Kai Miller floats through life like driftwood tossed by waves. She's never put down roots--and she doesn't plan to. But when a chaotic hurricane evacuation lands her in Daily, Tex as, she begins to think twice about her wayfaring existence. And when she meets hometown-boy Kemp Eldridge, she can almost picture settling down in Daily--until she discovers he may be promised to someone else.

Daily has always been a welcoming place of refuge for those the wind blows in, but for Kai, it looks like it will be just another place to leave behind. Then again, Daily always has a few surprises in store--especially when Aunt Donetta Bradford has cooked up a scheme. 

Author: Lisa Wingate is a popular inspirational speaker, magazine columnist, and national bestselling author of several books, including Tending Roses, A Month of Summer, and The Summer Kitchen. Lisa and her family live in central Texas. Visit www.lisawingate.com

My Thoughts:   I really enjoyed this book a lot.  I thought it started a little slow, but once I got into it, it was very good.  The characters were very well written and I loved the ending too. Aunt Donetta Bradford was a hoot and my favorite character in the book.  There was a villain that was fun to "hate" and Kai Miller was a sweetheart.   Each of the 3 main characters seem to be dealing with things in their past that makes it hard for them in dealing with current relationships.  Ms. Wingate did an excellent job dealing with these characters and she kept me guessing until the very end as to what was going to happen.  I recommend this book.

Click on the book time above, if you'd like to purchase a copy of this book.  If you are interested in signing up to receive review copies of Bethany House books, go here:   www.bethanyhouse.com/bookreviewers! 

FTC disclaimer: This book was provided for review by the Bethany HousePublishers.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Succinct Description of My Life As I Live It Now

I just received this in an e-mail and wanted to share it with you as it pretty much describes me and my life right now.

Just a line to say I'm living, that I'm not among the dead.
Though I'm getting more forgetful and mixed up in the head.
It is my turn to write you? Or, did I write before?
I think I owe you a letter. but I hate to be a bore,


I'm used to my bifocals: and my new plates fit me fine.
My hearing aid is perfect, but Lord, I miss my mind.
I stand before the fridge at times, and my poor head fills with doubt,
Have I come to put some food away, or did I take some out?


Sometimes when it's dark outside, and my nightcap is on my head,
I ask, "Am I retiring, or just got out of bed?"
Sometimes I can't remember at the bottom of the stairs,
must I go up for something, or did I just come down from there?


I do know that I miss you....sometimes I almost cry.
But, now it is almost mail time, so I must say good-by.
P.S. I'm standing by the mail box with a face so very red.
I didn't mail your letter.....I opened it instead

Flashback Friday - Food for Thought

Prompt for Flashback Friday:

The late James Beard, a well-known American chef of the twentieth century, said, "Food is our common ground, a universal experience." For some, food is simply sustenance, fuel for the body's tasks. To others, food means friendship, comfort, and happiness. Few things can evoke such polarized reactions, both positive and negative, as food.

Possibly the worst thing a husband can say to his wife is, "That's not the way my mother fixed it." Food is an integral part of many memories and just the mention or smell of certain foods can transport us back in time and place and make us smile (or gag!).
 What were meals like when you were growing up? Did your mom (or dad) cook (and was it from scratch or from a box?) or did your family eat out much of the time? Did you eat together as a family or was everyone on a different schedule? What did you call meals? (Dinner vs. supper, lunch, etc.) What were some of your favorite things that your parent fixed? What did you dislike and vow never to fix once you grew up? Did your family have any food traditions, things that were a must on certain occasions (such as Sunday dinners or holiday meals)? Did your parent teach you to cook or did you wing it once you were grown? How similar or different are your family's eating habits today than when you grew up?

My Answers:

Growing up we always had a family dinner which we called supper when my dad got home from work.  I remember meals such as fried chicken and mashed potatoes and green beans or pork chops with mashed potatoes or macaroni.  Then there were nights with soup beans and cornbread.  I never liked soup beans but I loved the cornbread (unless she put cracklins in them...yuck).  Then sometimes she make liver and onions.  We girls hated liver, including my mom, but she'd make us eat it because grandma told her that we needed to eat it.  She'd make it, but she wouldn't eat it, even though she made us.  So glad she finally decided she wasn't gonna make us anymore no matter what grandma said. haha   Something else she made that I hated was lima beans.  Still hate to this day...at least I think I do.  I actually don't think I've had a lima bean since I was a kid.  Don't plan to either.

Mom did most of the cooking in our family when we were growing up.  But my dad is the one that taught her to cook.  She was only 17 when she got married and she'd always worked in the barn and grandma hadn't taught her to cook, so my dad did.  He taught her to drive too.  Anyway, I wish I could cook half as good as she does, but alas, I didn't inherit the cooking gene.

I remember all the family get-togethers growing up too.  All my aunts and my grandma were great cooks too.  One of my all time favorite things they made were dumplings.  Man my grandma made the best and my mom's aren't too shabby either.  I was always glad when there were leftovers so I could have them later.  lol  Maybe that's why I look like I look now.  

For family dinners now, my dad cooks about as much as my mom does.  He makes some of the best cookies and cakes around and I've never tasted peanut butter fudge that's any better than his.  When we were little he'd make it and then let us kids take a spoon and scrape the pan to get any leftovers.  He still makes it all the time.  And we all love it and so does everyone else that's ever tried it.  In fact, someone created a group on FB in honor of his fudge.  It's called "Jim Sempsrott's Peanut Butter Fudge Fan Page"  Check it out if you want.  Actually my sister can make it now too.  He talked me through it before and it turned out pretty good, but I refuse to learn to make it (or my mom's dumplings too) because I'd be as big as a barn if I could have them anytime I wanted them. lol


I guess that's enough for now.  Why don't you click HERE and go join up with Linda at Mocha with Linda and play along on Flashback Friday.  We'd love to hear about your food memories too.

God is Faithful

Do you ever feel really burdened and overwhelmed and like you're just not going to make it through your circumstances?  I know I have, more recently than ever before in my life.  But we're making it and guess what?  I've actually grown closer to the Lord and stronger in my faith.  Here's a scripture from Paul that I think fits and explains why we sometimes have to go through what we go through.

I think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it.
 In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the dead.
 And he did deliver us from mortal danger. And we are confident that he will continue to deliver us. 2Corinthians 1:8-10


So be encouraged my friend. If you are going through a hard time right now or living in circumstances you just don't understand.  You will make it through because God is faithful and He will deliver. 

Spontenaity

Yesterday, I got up and went to work just like any normal day.  Then around 12:30 I started thinking, I sure would like to go home and spend some time just relaxing.  I have plenty of vacation and holiday time accumulated and things were caught up pretty well at work, so I talked to the boss and he said okay.  I guess this is one of the advantages of working in the same place forever.

I must say it was so nice to go home to a quiet house and just relax.  I took a short nap, read a lot of the book I'm involved in (should be reviewing it soon) and just took some "me time".  Loved it.  Hope to do it again real soon.

What about you?  Do you ever do anything spontaneous like this?

Beautiful Summer Sky

Kerri called me outside last night and said the sky is really pretty. So I went to look and she was right, so, of course, I had to go grab my camera. Thought I'd share.

Then she started acting goofy, and I got a couple pictures of her.  Can't believe she let me post them here, but she did.  She's just too funny sometimes.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Traveling

Kelli just flew out today with her youth group to go to Orlando, FL for International Youth Convention of the Church of God.  There are supposed to be about 4500-5000 teens there this week.  She just sent a picture as they are in Walt Disney World for the day.  They all worked some community service and earned a free 1 day pass and they're using that today.  Here's the picture she sent.  Hopefully, she'll send some more while she's there.  Mama's really wanting a trip there bad!  As if you didn't all already know that. lol

Hope you have a great time Kelli!

She just sent another picture.  This is one of my most favorite places!

Cinderella's Castle.  

She said it's raining and she thinks some of them are going to want to leave.  I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to!  She's pretty much like me and completely obsessed with Disney.

Flashback Friday

It's time for Flashback Friday!  Click here to join up and play along.

Now here is this weeks prompt:

Were you prone to accidents and injuries when you were growing up? Did you ever break a bone? Knock out any teeth? Get stitches? Have you ever ridden in the back of an ambulance? Did you ever have surgery or spend any time in a hospital? How did your folks treat injuries and illnesses? With lots of TLC or by telling you to get a stiff upper lip? Was there a particular home remedy that your mom (or dad or whoever!) used or any "traditions" involving injuries or illnesses? What's the worst injury (or illness) you had when you were growing up? 

No I really was prone to accidents and injuries.  I had my share of bumps and bruises, but I've never had a broken bone or stitches (except when my wisdom teeth were extracted & when I had surgery once).  I never knocked out any teeth either.  I did ride in an ambulance as an adult once when I was being moved from one hospital to another for some tests.  I don't really recall my parents babying us to much with injuries.  The one thing I remember was every time we had a cut or scrape they would put mecurochrome on it and then a bandaid.  We kids hated that stuff.  We always called it jumping up and down medicine because we'd always jump up and down and holler because it stung so bad.  Do any of you remember that.  It stained your skin red.

I never really had any traumatic illnesses or injuries growing up.  Thank you God for protecting me.  Makes for a rather boring Flashback post, but I'm glad that's the way it was.

Thank You

I'd like to say thank you.  It's been fun the last few weeks.  I have won several things lately and now I want to say thanks.

I won this lovely mug from Wylie.  I absolutely love it.  I'm using it right now even as I type this.  Thank you Wylie.  If you've never visited Wylie at Shout a Joyful Noise, please do, I promise you won't be disappointed.

I also won a contest that Rayovac Batteries was having.  I won a $50 gift card to Walmart and a bunch (and I do mean a bunch) of batteries.  All different sizes.  I don't have a picture, but I love that too.  I mean who wouldn't love a gift card to Walmart and now I have bunches of batteries for my cameras, flashlights and remotes.  All the things you need in the summertime fun.

I also won this CD from Cathy at Latte With Me.  I haven't received it yet, but she said it's in the mail.  She says it's awesome.  Cathy is another one of my longtime blogging buddies.  If you haven't met her you should go check her out.  She does a lot of wonderful reviews.

Thank you everyone!

Summer is Flying!

This summer is absolutely flying.  Seven weeks from tomorrow we leave to take Kelli to college.  I'm not sure I'm ready for that.  I thought I was, but now that it's getting closer, I'm not so sure.  Can't we just go back in time to yesterday?  You know, when she was out riding bikes and playing on the swings and just being a kid.  But nooooo, she had to go and grow up and now she's leaving us!  Yuck!

She's so excited and can't wait for that day to come.  We went shopping last night & bought her a few new clothes and tonight we're supposed to go get some stuff she needs for her dorm room.  Before we know it, the 7 weeks will be gone and so will she.

I'm so excited for her, but I'm a little sad for me.  Oh well, I know I'll adjust, just like some of you have had to and the rest of you will have to some day too. 

Have a great day everyone!

Destination Disney 7/5/2010

Here is the prompt for Destination Disney 7/5/2010. Share your stories, pictures, memories, just whatever! Maybe you have actually had opportunity to visit Disney for a 4th of July celebration – if so, please tell us about it.  Click here if you'd like to play along.

My pictures are from our last 2 trips and they are the some of the Magic Kingdom fireworks.  This really doesn't do them justice at all.  I love these fireworks.  They are all around the Castle.  And I especially love it when Tinkerbell flies!  Awesomely magical.

I have to say though, EPCOT and Disney Hollywood Studios have awesome fireworks too.

Happy Independence Day

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14